


There's no greater gift, than love

by DatWheatleyBoi



Category: Half-Life
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gordon is the Phoenix, HTTYD vibes, M/M, Not Beta Read, Past Relationship(s), Sad Barney moments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:28:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28364667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DatWheatleyBoi/pseuds/DatWheatleyBoi
Summary: The life of a single father is very difficult, especially when you work along the way and try to pay attention to all of the Resistance. And so, you have the opportunity to sit by the fire, and recap on how was life long before the Cascade Resonance itself and after it.
Relationships: Barney Calhoun/Gordon Freeman
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	There's no greater gift, than love

A cold wind, the harbinger of winter, howled mournfully in the distance, cutting through the sky, occasionally diving into the streets, lifting everything into the air and leaving a noticeable trail behind. Gray clouds were lazily moving across the sky, like gray sheep that had escaped from the shepherd and were already enjoying their freedom. The moon was out of sight, as always. How did it look like anyway? 

Probably, the new generation of people does not even know what the Moon even is. Of course, ignorance is strength. Tides, darkness and light, temperature differences, the wind. Why would the Combine stuff any fundamental principles of this planet into their heads, if their whole life is a mindless work for an alien race? Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, landslides. None of this should interest young minds. All their knowledge should be based around the use of weapons, around the transfer of goods, around the beating of innocent residents. Nothing more.

The crunch of the fire brought Barney out of his dreaminess. He looked at the small barrel in front of him, from which flames were shooting out, desperately reaching for the sky, for the clouds, for the stars, for the hidden moon. Like a fiery bird, a Phoenix, it soared into the sky, disappearing in sparks that soon settled on the already smoked stone tiles. Sometimes, just watching the fire caused a certain bitterness and nostalgia for those times when the world was completely different. Then, the sun gave the exhausted earth its warmth and light, plants rose to the sky, animals of various species lived in peace and harmony. Did such a life really exist? It was not a delusion, not a fairy tale, not a myth. It was all real.

Another crack. Barney blinked away the next wave of thoughts, even though they kept popping up in his head from time to time. Although what prevented him from taking a bottle of cheap beer and forgetting himself? Probably his conscience, some inner voice that told him not to do it. But why would he even do it? These thoughts were the only ones that kept his mind in a normal state. If it weren't for these foolish speculations, he would have long since gone mad or fallen into despair. He cannot go into this state of mind just yet. How will the others react when they'll know that the most persistent person in the entire Resistance has given up all hopes of returning to normal life? What about the children who were raised on stories about the blue sky, the noisy river, the singing of birds? What would their reaction be? What about Joshua?

The last question made Calhoun sit up abruptly. A poor orphan, victim of circumstances. No one could have foreseen the Resonance Cascade, no one knew that this event would lead to the destruction of so many families. If Alyx still had a father and grew up as happily as before, little Joshua had no one. His mother died when giving birth, and his father was taken away by the military. Oh, Gordon, why did you leave your son all alone so early? As if it was yesterday, Barney clearly remembered returning to the temporary shelter for the surviving workers of Black Mesa, and being met with anxious looks right when he entered. Everyone knew of his strong attachment to Freeman, no one even dared to judge the sincerity of his feelings, but raising a child was not an easy task. Dr. Kleiner carefully sat down next to him, clearly not burning with a special desire to start this dialogue, but forced by events.

The way he gently placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly, the way he looked at him with his wide eyes, the way everyone stood silently behind him. It was not a pleasant and easy task. The hot breath of an elderly scientist burned his ear, and from his mouth came the phrase: "Barney, Joshua is alive." The guard flinched at this instantly, a spark of hope in his eyes, and jumped up, hoping to find Gordon's son.

The whole sequence of events made him completely forget about the existence of the son of his love interest. At first, a certain fear, horror and confusion came over him, especially after realizing how many days the baby had been alone, but the instant crying made him forget about everything. A woman, also a former scientist, emerged from the crowd, holding a dirty towel wrapped around a tiny creature that was crying and demanding food, as well as attention. Barney, hearing that long cry again, hurried to take the baby in his arms, carefully, fearfully, hoping not to hurt the child in the process. Such a small lump, pathetic, defenseless, calling for someone to help, was the child of their Messiah, their Savior, the very light left after the Phoenix on the corrupted earth. 

Joshua immediately stopped whining, feeling how gently the stranger rocked him in their arms, how they whispered some comforting words in a softened male voice. An amazing picture, especially for those workers who saw the child for the first time. The crying turned into occasional sobs, and then altogether stopped. The baby fell asleep in Barney's arms, snoring softly, just like his vanished father. It was from that moment that Calhoun realized that Joshua needed him, and that this tiny bundle of joy was a “gift”. The last reminder of Gordon, the only thing he left behind. It was then that Barney made a vow to raise him as his son, and at the right moment to tell him the truth. The truth about his father, about his big role in the future. In the meantime, all he needed was love, care, and attention, like any child.

Crackle of fire. This time, it didn't disturb Barney, but only forced him to switch to a completely different memory. Joshua's first steps. No, it wasn't captured, it wasn't happening in some cozy apartment. It happened in one of the secret hiding places of the Resistance, in the basement of one of the houses. It all started with the baby's grumbling, his meaty fists tapping furiously on the carpet, which stood out against the concrete walls, wooden chairs and stools. A reminder of comfort and the past. There was a grunt of displeasure and the baby sat up, looking with interest at the room in which he was. His bright green eyes looked over the inhabitants of the shelter, but they rested on Barney, who was actively talking to one of the scientists, occasionally glancing in the direction of the foster child. 

An exclamation of joy made him look at Joshua, who got to his feet with laughter and took careful steps, closer and closer towards the only person he cared about. Calhoun rushed to the child, holding out his hands, still wearing metrocop's work gloves. Yes, it hadn't even been a few months since the Combine took over, and he was in a hurry to get a job, especially after the first purge. Taking one more step, the kid readily fell into the arms of his "parent", holding tightly to his uniform. All this was accompanied by amusing sighs and approval of others. Freeman's child rose to its feet. A wonderful sign, just beautiful. 

While the crowd cheered and clapped Barney on the shoulder, congratulating him and his “son”, Calhoun glanced at the boy, who fixed his emerald eyes on him. How familiar, how familiar. Just like Gordon, an exact copy of him, a streak of light that broke away from a single flame. For a moment, he thought it wasn't Joshua who was looking at him, but Freeman himself. It made a whole herd of goosebumps crawl up his spine, but in his heart he hoped that was the case. Let Gordon see it, let him be proud of his son, because he achieved so much, whilst still being this young.

A loud cry from a bird startled Barney and made him look at the raven, which was sitting very close to him, scanning him with its unnaturally yellow eyes. Again the creature screamed loudly, coming even closer to the man, spreading its black wings. Has anyone ever seen such a large raven? Look at his eyes, at his size! Could this beast even exist in reality? Barney tried to shoo the bird away, but it only screamed in protest, at one point biting his finger. It was at this moment that he grabbed a nearby rock and threw it at the raven, putting all his strength into the throw. The creature did not even stagger. There was a loud and straining crunch. The bird took a few more confident steps before collapsing to the floor with a wheeze, and the strangely-turned head fixed its gaze directly on Barney. A few more moments and its eyes dimmed, and then completely darkened. This caused Calhoun to throw the corpse away from him. You never know what kind of infection can be found in a wild animal. Thoughts abruptly disappeared and it took him a few minutes of staring at the fire to remember a rather interesting thing. He had seen this bird. Even more, he had managed to injure it in the past. How is it still alive?

It was a late winter night, when Joshua was sleeping in an improvised crib and Barney was talking to scientists. Why though? He was helping them test a new teleportation device, while trying to find out something new about Gordon. All the scientists knew about this will of Barneys’, and any news related to it spread faster, than a headcrab could jump on its prey. In general, many people liked to invent a variety of stories, claiming to have seen The One Freeman or communicated with him, but Barney was hard to be tricked. And why lie to everyone with such a serious matter? People have been waiting for the return of their Savior for a long time, and with fake news, their patience and faith in a better future were even more questioned.

He was interrupted from his conversation by the loud rustle of wings and the creak of the crib. Calhoun hurried to enter the room of his adopted son, hoping that this is not some trick of the Combine. Of course, these guys have long known that the son of the famous Freeman is alive. Why not get rid of it, to put even more pressure on the Resistance? Barney scolded himself aloud for leaving the windows untouched, as he opened the door, but those thoughts vanished, especially when he saw that the windows were closed and a big healthy bird was sitting over Joshua's crib, slowly rocking it. The baby, awoken by the noise, began to whimper, but this raven, as if understanding his cries, started calming the child down, still bending over the small one, examining it with its amber eyes. Even then, Barney asked the question: can a bird have such bright eyes? He had never seen anything like this in his life. For some reason, Calhoun was in no hurry to chase the animal away, but only allowed it to put Joshua back to sleep. It seems that the bird was only waiting for this moment.

As the foster child sank into another deep sleep, it turned its gaze to the newcomer, and its eyes glowed brighter in the darkness of the room. This strained Barney even more and it was at this moment that he came up with a brilliant idea – to throw his shoe at this creature, which put Joshua to bed. Something about it made him tense, that amber glow filled him with fear and dread. Barney looked at the bird. Something in it really felt unnatural and unnerving. The boot slammed into the raven with a loud thud, and it crashed into the window, breaking it. So he got rid of this mysterious stranger, but the question of how the animal got inside still worried him to this day.

Barney was distracted from his thoughts by a rustle behind him. He turned around, feeling that his face was wet with tears. He tried to wipe away the traces of them. And where did the tears come from? Had the fear of losing Joshua that night, the only thing he had left of Freeman, caused such a reaction in his body? Calhoun scanned the space around him. Maybe this bird magically came to life again and flew away? No, there it was, lying in the distance, not moving an inch. Maybe he was just imagining it, or maybe he was already going crazy. This is totally worth visiting Dr. Kleiner tomorrow and asking about these symptoms. Maybe it's just paranoia, which again took its toll. 

He started to turn away, but another creak scattered his doubts. Barney glanced at the room that led out to the street. A small connecting knot between the shelter and the horror that was happening outside its walls: lawlessness, fights, eternal tracking and control. Peering into the darkness of the room, Barney caught a glimpse of a tuft of brown hair, which he could never forget. For a moment he thought he saw Freeman standing there, watching him in silence. He came back! Finally, after all these years. Calhoun was about to run over to him, but one quick glance at the figure in the room was enough to throw all hope aside. It was Joshua, standing in his usual pajamas, which were a little too big for him, holding a stuffed monster toy that Alyx gave him for his birthday, assuring him that this friend would not leave him in trouble even in the most difficult situation. To be honest, the friendship of the daughter of Eli and the son of Freeman was noticeable from the moment of their first meeting, when they were very young. The tense silence was broken by another creak and an angry hiss from the small one.

"Son? You should be asleep,” Barney said softly, forgetting the fire and even the bird, and turning his full attention to the tiny foster child who was clutching this strange lizard to his chest.

"I was thirsty," mumbled Joshua, lowering his head, knowing that he had done the wrong thing by not notifying his "father" of his presence, thus clearly scaring him from his point of view.  
Barney sighed heavily, looking at the fire, which was still burning brightly, and then at the cool breeze that had somehow managed to make its way even here, past other buildings and secret passages leading to the Resistance’s hideout. He glanced back at Joshua, pulling his classic Calhoun smile to show the kid that he was in a good mood. No need to be so tense.

"Now, come here," said Barney. Joshua's green eyes flashed in the dark and he ran happily over to Barney, making himself comfortable on his knees, while the man was wrapping a warm blanket around him. He smiled, when understanding that the toy he was holding was a strange lizard, that looked more like a one-eyed frog. A familiar creature. Hadn't he seen something like this in Black Mesa before the Resonance Cascade?

Joshua, meanwhile, fixed his gaze on the fire, which hissed into life, sending its flames upward, again reminding Barney of a Phoenix trying to ascend to the heavens to dispel the darkness and bring back the much-desired light. The man glanced at the foster boy, gently stroking his back as he did so. As he grew older, he became more and more like Gordon: the same brown hair that had lost its "childish" curls, shimmering bronze in the light; the same confident gaze that more than one scientist had already noticed; the same body, thin but slender, and, of course, those green eyes that shone like two emeralds in the sun. It was as if Gordon himself could sometimes be seen in them, as if he was an integral part of the child itself. Although it was rather stupid to think in such a way, because Joshua was a completely different person, not a copy of his father, sometimes he drew this strange parallel between them. Barney did that a lot while being a man, who saw in this little child all his meaning in life, all his hope and belief that Gordon would come back again. He will surely rise from the ashes like a Phoenix and save this world. So says the prophecy.

"Dad, are you gonna get as a new mom?" Joshua asked carefully, looking now at Calhoun. In his gaze, you could clearly see the excitement and some notes of doubt in the correctness of asking this question right now. Barney sighed, and his smile became very weak. The kid wanted an ordinary life, wanted to live in a happy family. In his little mind was stored the remaining beauty of old times. He did not see the horrors that took place outside the walls, did not see the tortures, did not hear the pleas for help. Barney wished he could hold the kids hand forever and never let him go. It's the best he can do, isn't it? Let Joshua continue to live with his dreams and desires to get a mother again. Barney kissed him gently on the forehead, holding him tightly, as if he was afraid of losing him at any moment, as he had once lost Gordon.

"I don't want another. Your..ummm mom was the only woman for me, " he sighed, looking at the fire, trying to bury himself as deeply as possible in his memories, remembering the image of Gordon, his restrained laughter, his radiant smile, his serious but always warm look. Hell, he'd sell his soul to any devil to see him again, to hold him again after all these years of pain and suffering alone. “She was the love of my life…”

Barney looked up at the sky, surprised for a moment to see a small patch of the same night sky he had dreamed of seeing so long ago. Joshua followed his "father" and, with a startled exclamation, looked up at this canvas of stars that shone so brightly, as if glad that people had finally had the opportunity to see them. For a few moments Barney sat with his adopted son, watching the clouds slowly swallow up the white dots, hiding them from the eyes of others again, like a treasure they were in no hurry to share. Calhoun was finally able to find the right words to describe all his feelings, and if you think about it, this pause and gazing at the stars helped him do it. He frowned again, remembering what had happened during the Resonance Cascade. The way Barney tried his best to find Gordon...but when he finally saw him, he was too late. The military dragged his lifeless body away, and then…He never saw Freeman again. Then the Combine came to Earth. After that, there was a war. Many people did not care about finding Gordon, while the former guard blindly hoped that he would return. One day he will return. This is just how Freeman is. He could not have disappeared so suddenly and forever, not after all of these years being with Calhoun.

"But with love comes loss, son," Barney's voice became serious, and he looked at Joshua, who was still staring at him with his bright emerald eyes. Calhoun paused again, choosing his words, looking up at the already cloudy sky. "It’s part of the deal. Sometimes it hurts, but in the end…it’s all worth it.”

With that, Barney patted Joshua on the head carefully, messing with his hair. It was a gesture he'd done to Gordon more than once, but the scientist didn't really care. After all, Freeman has long been accustomed to such a display of affection and care from his boyfriend. As for Joshua, he chuckled quietly, then began to fix his hairstyle. He did not mind such actions from his "father" and sometimes asked for even more attention. Joshua was still a child, an orphan, someone who would probably never see his mother or his real father. Barney, as if sensing the sadness from his “son”, leaned forward a little. Calhoun then looked away sheepishly. Is it right to sum it up like this? Would Joshua understand this lesson any differently? The doubts were immediately dispelled when he firmly stated in his head that he would say this, because Barney knew that the kid would remember this conversation for a long time.

"There’s no greater gift than love," The man concluded, looking back at the fire, examining the flames as if there would be a sign of approval or disapproval, something that could be considered a "message" from the chosen one. Nothing happened, and Joshua yawned sleepily, leaning against Barney, burying his face in his clothes. Only the raven in the corner rose with a soft flutter of its wings, flying away in an unknown direction, although at this point no one even cared about it.

Barney sat by the fire for a long time, especially after he heard Joshua snore. Still, he didn't want to leave this wonderful place. This wind, pleasantly licking his back, this sky, covered with dark clouds, this fire, which was already slowly burning down, and the flames no longer dared to try to fly up. It wasn't until the fire died down, that Calhoun fully realized how close winter had come to them. No one talks about the changing seasons, no one talks about what year it is. Only propaganda and the eternally arrogant face of that bastard Breen with speeches that this is all not slavery – it's freedom, that work helps to free our minds from earthly burdens and brings us closer to immortality. Oh, how Barney missed the usual weather forecast from a woman or a man of a young age. It wasn't that he liked hearing about how hot it was going to be today, or whether it was going to snow in an hour, but now any memory of his old life made him want to experience it again.  
Another cry of the wind made Calhoun shiver, as the cold began to creep through his body, and sitting on the floor didn't help much. He needed to get Joshua to bed as soon as possible. The Resistance has more important things to do, than treating a sick child, especially during a period when every second person can come down with some kind of pneumonia or bronchitis at any time. Barney scrambled up from the floor, the kid in his arms, and was just about to take a few steps when something snapped in his back, causing the world to darken before his eyes, and Calhoun to sit down again on the floor. Here comes his old age. Now holding Joshua was problematic, especially with those gray tufts in his hair and back problems. And the foster child itself was too old for him to be carried. 9 years old. Barney gathered his strength and tried to get up, but a dog ran over to him as fast as it could, pouncing and starting to lick his face.

The man was terrified for a moment and wanted to hit this homeless mutt, but noticing its long fur, immediately calmed him down. It was Sunkist, the dog of one of the residents of this shelter and an old friend of Freeman, Tommy. He'd probably be coming for his giant pet soon, too, and Barney was right. Stumbling, begging for forgiveness, shouting the Retriever's name, Tommy pulled Sunkist away first, scolding him with a serious face for disrespecting the elders, although, to be honest, with a hat in the form of a propeller on his head, such a scene could not be taken seriously even by the victim himself. Only then did the youngster help Barney up, offering to help carry Joshua into the bedroom. Calhoun couldn't help but agree, because he felt that his strength started to weaken, and he slowly followed Tommy, whispering about some everyday business stuff, hoping not to wake Freeman's son.

Barney could only breathe out a sigh of relief, when Joshua stretched out in his bed and hugged the strange toy lizard-frog tightly, and the man covered him with a blanket. A faint smile appeared on his face, seeing how well his foster child was sleeping. He wondered what he's dreaming about now. Probably not their conversation around the campfire, for sure. Could he be imagining a beautiful new world that will arise after the disappearance of the Combine, where everyone will live in peace and tranquility? A lot of things are stuffed in the mind of a small 9 year-old boy. 

After saying goodbye to Tommy, Barney sat down on Joshua's bed, gently stroking his head, occasionally burying his fingers in his hair, once again ruining the recently fixed hairstyle. Just like Gordon. Even grumbling in his sleep, just like him. If Freeman was alive, where would he be now? Probably sitting somewhere in a cafe, watching all this and sighing dreamily about how wonderful it would be if he was also next to them at this moment. Well, or arguing with the owner of the tiny place, scolding for the fact that this coffee tastes too bitter or sweet. Ah, the typical Gordon who never changes. When will this "Phoenix bird" come to him again?

"Very soon," Came a faint whisper from somewhere on the other side of the room. "Your Gordon will be back here very soon. Yo, you should have seen, what that weird guy in the suit did to him. Why would he cut off his ponytail? It suited him perfectly.”

This voice seemed to bring Barney to his senses, and he covered Joshua with his body, looking nervously into the dark, trying to see his invisible opponent. Sunkist and Tommy left. Who could have entered the room so easily without even saying “Hello”? The stranger cleared his throat, as if he had overheard Calhoun's thoughts, and the voice came closer and louder.

"Oh, right. I forgot all about my manners, bro. It's probably rude of me to break into the room of a little Phoenix spark and scare his…umm boyfriend, " There was a laugh and a man appeared out of nowhere, the same height as Barney, but dressed in Black Mesa's uniform. He might have been considered as an ordinary security guard, if it hadn't been for those bright amber eyes, that seemed to see right through Calhoun. Wait a minute, where has he seen such a familiar emotionless expression? "My name is Benrey Benrey Benrey Benrey Benrey, but to my friends it's just Benrey. You look cool in your suit, bro. Ooh, is that your little boy? Hey, Hey, do you know that your caretaker is not even your relative?"

Barney could not stand such rudeness and slapped the stranger, thereby driving him away from Joshua. Does this weirdo even know manners? Calhoun stood up, still looking at this “Benrey” with disregard, but not moving away from the bed, not allowing him to get so close to the little one again.

"What do ya think you're doing? Breaking into a shelter, breaking into a room, insulting me, and even messing with my son? Leave him alone!” Growled Barney menacingly, clearly wanting to call someone and chase the idiot away, but his unwillingness to wake up Joshua stopped him. "How did the security not notice ya at all? Or did ya learn to climb walls and crawl through windows?”

"Don't worry so much about Joshua, bro. I won’t touch him in the real world. You're sleeping now and I've come to meet Feetman's lover number 1, " Benrey said calmly, moving closer to Barney. “And I didn't get in here through the security, they don't know anything about me, bro. I flew in here and made you kind of fall asleep, but kind of didn't. Got it?”

"No, I didn't get it. And who even let ya talk so rudely ‘bout me and Freeman? Are you tired of living, my friend?” Barney grumbled, drawing his weapon and pointing it at him. “If you don't leave my goddamn dream immediately, I'll shoot the hell outta ya. I know that aliens are mortal in someone's dreams.”

Benrey rolled his eyes and looked at the gun, still calm, as he took another step. It was then that Barney pulled the lever and fired a couple of shots at the stranger, but the man remained standing as if nothing had happened, and blood was streaming from his chest, which dripped on the floor, not causing any spark of emotions in him. Does he even know how to feel anything? Barney screamed, dropping the gun, and tried to grab Joshua and run, but his hands went through the sleeping body. Then Calhoun simply stood in his defensive stance, keeping his eyes fixed on the creature. Yes, it is a creature. This is neither alien nor human. Barney realized it right now. Then what was it? Hell knows!

"Your bullet hurt my heart, but I think in a couple of hours it'll be working like a clock again," Benrey chuckled, taking another step towards the panicking Calhoun. "Afraid of me? Yo, don't be afraid of me. I won't touch you in the dream world, at least not physically. And you can't kill me either here or in reality. Remember that bird you murdered a couple of times, bro? Surprise, surprise, it was me. And you know what? I'm amazed at your ability to callously kill creatures that are smaller than you, " He paused for a moment, the outline of the bedroom was beginning to blur. "Damn, you're having trouble sleeping, bro. Now I have to sum up everything. Anyways, listen. Your little friend will come back to you, your Phoenix will rise and bla-bla, but that’s unpog. Especially for me. So don't get in my way, okay? There's that-cliche-villain-victim I can easily capture, and it's right behind you. You're not his mom or his daddy, bro, you won’t save him from everything. So, yeah, leave it to a professional and don't get in my way.” He grabbed Barney by the chin and pulled him over, while everything around began to darken, including the strange creature that literally changed before his eyes, becoming something indescribable and terrible, scary and disgusting, mysterious and frightening. “So let's make a deal. I will grant you a happy life with Joshua if you do not interfere with my plans and those of my future allies. Am I clear? If you dare defend your boyfriend Feetman, I'll have to get my hands dirty, and I don't like to do that, yo. Just like this!”

With that, he easily punched through Barney's chest, not putting any pressure to such an action, causing the man to shudder and clutch at the hole that went right through him. A grimace of fear, pain and horror appeared on his face, and the blood that sprayed out like a fountain, abruptly began to fill the room. Benrey remained where he was, happy to watch Barney's last moments of life.

"Barney Calhoun. Yo, like Barney the dinosaur? I'll call you that. My chubby dino broski. Don't you ever cross paths with me, dino boy, or I’ll have to kill you. Remember, dying like this is cringe, okay?" Benrey said as calmly as ever, while everything went dark before Barney's eyes.

He woke up with a loud wheeze, clutching his chest, but noticed that he did not have any wound, that the stranger had left this room, and the traces of blood had completely disappeared. Was this all really just a dream? He started to wake up Joshua, but a knock on the window distracted him. Looking straight at Calhoun was the raven, that Barney accidently killed this night and slapped with a boot a few years ago. And those eyes. Oh those bright amber eyes stared straight at him, and in Barney's mind the words Benrey had said in the dream started playing, as if they were recorded by someone: "Don't you ever cross paths with me". Calhoun furrowed his brows and mentally declared: " If Gordon does come back, I'll do everything I can to make sure you won’t harm him or his son!". With these thoughts, he closed the window with a loud bang, which immediately woke up Joshua. They had a big day ahead of them and had no time to lose...

**Author's Note:**

> This is a pretty old fanfiction, that is an introduction to a Half-Life AU I worked on some time ago. Maybe, if I'll have the motivation, I'll most likely develop the topic, but for now it's a single work about the hard days of Barney Calhoun after the Resonance Cascade.  
> Please mark any mistakes, that I may have in my work. 
> 
> You can ask me questions about the AU on my Tumblr account:  
> @datwheatleyboi  
> (Oof self-promotion)


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